Lack of cookery skills 'contributing to obesity problem'

The UK economic downturn could lead to an increasing number of people eating unhealthily, it has been claimed.

Celebrity chef Jamie Oliver, speaking at a parliamentary enquiry into healthy disparities, believes the problems stems from the apparent inability of British people to cook, the BBC reports.

According to Mr Oliver, this lack of knowledge prevents people from searching for cheaper foods - and leads to them falling back on ready meals and takeaways.

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'This is the first time in British history that we have a large number of people who cannot cook,' he told the cross-party group of MPs, according to the news provider.

'If you have knowledge about how to cook you will know how to buy efficiently and cheap.

'Most exciting cooking is cheaper. I buy cheaper cuts of meat, rather than posh ones.'

Mr Oliver went on to say that failure to cook nutritious fresh food from home rather than buying it ready made would have an adverse impact on the government's attempts to reduce the incidence of obesity in the UK.

Appointed an MBE in 2003, Mr Oliver is now as notorious for his work in attempting to encourage the nation to eat more healthily as he is for the Naked Chef cookery programmes which first catapulted him to fame.

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